Way OT--Best 3 album run

Hip hop wise:

Gangstarr:  Daily Operation, Hard to Earn and Moment of truth

Outkast: Southernplayalistic, ATLiens, Aquemini

Above the Law: Livin like hustlers, Black Mafia life, Uncle sams Curse, Time will reveal, legends,  They had 5 in a row straight fire albums.

Run the jewels:  RTJ 1&2 and Killer Mike's RAP music was a great 3 year run.  I include RAP music because El-P produced the whole thing.

Wu-Tang Clan:  Enter the 36th Chamber, then ODB/Method Man/GZA/Raekwon and Ghostface solo albums then Forever.

Tribe Called Quest: People intstinctive travel's, Low End Theory, Midnight Marauders

Public Enemy:  Yo Bum rush the show, It takes a nation of millions and Fear of a black planet.

If sales, a couple tha might surprise are

Those kids from Jersey =- Damn, they've been good to us - The 4 seasons, who at one time had sold more than anyone in  history. 

Diana Ross w or w/o supremes

Beatles, of course

Bog Seger

Bruce

Elvis

Elton

I don't make them up, jus report them. If you're talking music quality, well that is totally subjective. 

Seems like people aren't counting live records (and most of them suck), but Live at Leeds is the one Who record I'd take if I could only take one. And I also love Sell Out, which captures their earlier Mod-influenced stuff. But I'd go with these three:

Live at Leeds, Who's Next, Quadrophenia

The Who really concentrated their best music in a very short span, There are a lot of other acts (Beatles, Bowie, Floyd, Stones) with discographies too long and varied to make a choice.  And this is certainly true of most top jazz musicians - just too much output to consider.  

Several other great three-record runs:

Radiohead:  Bends, OK, Kid A

Elvis Costello: This Year's Model, Armed Forces, Get Happy.

Genesis: Foxtrot, Selling England by the Pound, Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

Joni Mitchell: Blue, For the Roses, Court and Spark

Replacements: Let it Be, Tim, Pleased to Meet Me

Springsteen: Wild Innocent, Born to Run, Darkness

I think Elvis deserves a mention:

This Year's Model (1978)

Armed Forces (1979)

Get Happy!! (1980)

Just to set the record straight - the masses who loved Licensed To Ill just didn't get Paul's Boutique when it was released. PB was one of the most underrated albums of all time in my opinion. And I'm not throwing any shade at LTI, but after Paul's Boutique came out, I just didn't love it as much. I actually listened to LTI in it's entirety a few weeks ago during a workout at the gym and I still love it but noticed that the tracks with the guitars don't blend as well from start to end with the other tracks like I once thought they did. Could just be me though. I also think you could add Ill Communication to that list. 

My contributions:

Ministry - Land of Rape and Honey, Mind, Psalm 69

Type O Negative - Bloody Kisses, October Rust, World Coming Down

Pop Will Eat Itself - This is the Day, Cure For Sanity, The Looks or The Lifestyle

Public Enemy - First Three albums

The Horrors - ALL four albums - any order

Fatboy Slim - Better Living, You've Come A Long Way, Halfway Between

Anthrax - Persistence In Time, Sound of White Noise, Stomp 442

System of a Down - ALL - with or without Steal This!

The Chemical Brothers - Exit Planet Dust, Dig Your Own Hole, Surrender

Slayer - Reign In Blood, South of Heaven, Season in the Abyss

Goldfrapp - Black Cherry, Supernature, Seventh Tree, Head First

KMFDM - Naive, Money, Angst, Nihil

Suicidal Tendencies - Controlled By Hatred, Lights, Art of Rebellion

Kasabian - Kasabian, Empire, West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum

White Stripes - Any order

Laibach - Kapital, JC Superstars, WAT

I strongly agree with the folks who mentioned Pantera and Muse.

Also - they are not on my list, but I am surprised that nobody mentioned Foo Fighters or Adele. (or maybe they did and I missed it).